COUPLE COUNSELING DC
I am a British Couples Psychotherapist specializing in relationship and sexual issues. If you want positive change in your communication, conflicts, sexual difficulties, an affair and its aftermath, divorce or separation or loss of intimacy, I can help you. I truly understand the need for a safe, confidential and empathic environment, to be able to trust your therapist, to be listened to and understood, so that together we are able to resolve or manage the problems and issues you are having with your partner. Take the first step to getting the relationship you deserve - call me to make an appointment.
I trained as a couples psychotherapist in Cambridge, England gaining a Graduate Certificate in Marital and Couples Counseling and a Post Graduate Diploma in Couples Therapy, University of East London. I ran a private practice in couples psychotherapy in London and LA and now have relocated to Washington DC. My continuing professional development has included further study in domestic violence and extramarital affairs.
“My clients often come in feeling nervous and apprehensive, but once we have met a few times, they can even start to enjoy it. At the end of the day, it’s a brave move to come to Therapy, but for almost everyone, it’s one of the best moves they have made.”
I’d really love to hear from you so we can discuss how I can help your relationship thrive. All calls and emails will be kept confidential.
Fees are $150 per hour. I do not accept insurance, meaning I am not “in-network” with any health plans.
However, many of my clients submit claims to their out-of-network health insurance and receive 40-60% reimbursement.
Zoom, Skype and Facetime sessions are available.
Phone: 202-270-3937
Opening Hours: 9.00pm – 6.30pm Tuesday and Thursday
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How many sessions do I need?It is suggested that you should think in terms of an initial six sessions though there is nothing to say that you cannot end sooner than that if you wish to. During the sixth session you can review what has been achieved and whether or not you would like to continue. No pressure is brought to bear on you… some clients like to take a break and return later (or not at all), and others like to continue. There is no rule!
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Can I get sex therapy?Yes! Sexual problems can affect many couples and individuals. Sometimes the problem is longstanding whilst at other times it is linked to recent events causing stress and unhappiness. Trina is specifically trained to work with sexual problems in the context of a couple’s relationship. However complicated the cause, Trina is skilled in helping people understand what has gone wrong and to resolve the sexual problem and the confused and painful emotions it evokes.
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What does confidentiality mean?Nothing you say is revealed to anyone else without your specific consent. The only time confidentiality would be breached is if it was thought there was a danger of you committing serious harm to yourself or another – especially, but not exclusively, where children might be at risk.
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Will I be told what to do?It will be up to you to decide what changes you want/can make. Positive interventions can be used to make a real difference in helping you to sort out your difficulties, by enabling you to look at the difficulties and possible solutions in detail and from different angles and new perspectives.
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What if separation is the answer?Although it is a difficult decision, especially if there are children involved, sometimes separation is the right solution. By helping you to talk to each other and helping you to come to terms with the ending, counseling can help make the break less acrimonious. This is vital, because if there are children involved you will be parents for the rest of your lives and it would be enormously helpful if you can both be closely involved in your children’s lives.
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What will I expect to gain from counseling?Improved communication Awareness of others needs Anger management skills Self-discovery A realization that the relationship could not work Increased confidence Decision to get married, start a family or get back together. Improved sexual relationship Reduced jealousy
There are some areas of our lives that we feel we would like to improve but we just don’t seem to be able to make the necessary changes. No matter how hard we try, we seem to remain stuck in the same groove.
By coming to couples therapy you can express and identify your feelings, values and expectations, and gain assistance with communication and problem solving by looking at new options, possibilities and perspectives with a non judgmental, experienced and caring therapist.
You can Increase your understanding of underlying problems as well as more obvious difficulties between yourself and your partner, reduce the power of disappointments and hurts, both past and present, and open a way to greater fulfillment in your life, both as part of a couple and as an individual.
For couples seeking premarital or pre-commitment therapy, I offer a 4-5 session series where we will explore the reasons you have picked each other, have open discussion about topics that have been difficult to talk about or have been overlooked, identify your individual dynamic and use this understanding to help turn alienating cycles into collaborative ones, now, and in the next stage of your relationship.
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Improve communication and help you get unstuck
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Address sexual and intimacy issues such as different levels of desire
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Prepare for a long term commitment with pre-commitment / pre-marital therapy
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Recover from infidelity or an affair
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Navigate major life changes, such as moving in, changing careers, having children, or committing to each other
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Learn how to have healthy conflict rather than destructive conflict
Couples often come to therapy polarized by reactivity and power struggles that make them feel increasingly disconnected. Trapped in a stalemate that they are unable to change on their own, they invite the therapist into the intimacy of their struggles, hoping for a new direction. It is the work of the therapist to understand the complex interactions and experience of the couple caught up in stalemate or an ‘impasse’. The therapist’s approach helps to identify the couple’s pattern and investigate and challenge emotional undercurrents that might be fueling and informing their dynamics. In working with couples’ impasses in the here and now, the goal is to help the partners move from being reactive to being more able to discuss, and from a view of themselves as victim and villain to positions of increased responsibility and personal agency. The process of change is facilitated by awareness, behavioral changes and negotiations, and the creation of alternative scripts based on greater empathy and connectedness…
Finding a therapist when you are feeling overwhelmed by your relationship issues isn’t easy.
I truly understand the need for a safe, confidential and empathic environment for you to be able to trust your therapist, to be listened to and understood, so you are able to resolve or manage the problems and issues you are having with your partner.
I am a British Couples Therapist specializing in relationship issues.
I can help you with conflict, sexual difficulties, divorce or separation, loss of intimacy, the impact of a new baby or an affair and its aftermath.
The most important factor for picking a therapist is trust. Therapy works when you feel contained, safe and understood, where confidentiality is taken seriously.
You both will feel equally listened to in a non-judgmental environment, allowing you the space to rework your relationship together with my professional guidance.
Couples of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed, including consensually non-monogamous couples, LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse couples.